Various sources indicate that urbanization in Africa is growing rapidly year by year. There are different factors mentioned for the rapid growth. For instance, one of the reasons for the rapid growth of that compels people flock en masse to urban centers. Among them are climate change the need for better education, health, job, security … etc.
This shows that a large proportion of a society prefer to inhabit urban areas if opportunities are available. This is mainly because urban areas are much preferable for the life of people due to many reasons. People can enjoy more job opportunities, transport, trade, health, public service etc. in urban areas. Indeed many sources justify the reasons for the large scale rural urban migration, especially of youth, as an attempt to secure better jobs or educational opportunities, among others.
In other words urban areas are more preferred for the Quality of Life (QoL) they offer to their residents. Quality of Life can be seen in various ways as they are defined by various institutions and authorities. For instance the World Health Organization (WHO) defines QoL as “individuals’ perceptions of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns”. It is a broad ranging concept incorporating in a complex way the persons’ physical health, psychological state, level of independence, social relationships, personal beliefs and their relationships to salient features of the environment.
WHOs definition of QoL focuses on how people agree about the quality of life they are living in and is subject to their knowledge and choice. Yet QoL can be defined in such a way that it can be agreed universally as to what should be done to fulfill peoples need for a decent, safe living as humans.
Other organizations also try to define QoL to a large extent to its health and social impacts. This being a major point, it is also important to focus on its relation with many other factors like, jobs, transportation, housing, education … etc which directly or indirectly related to health, wellbeing and better socio-economic situation.
Still urban areas can be classified in various categories or levels based on the extent to which they provide ease or comfort for their residents. After decades of labeling as the Dark Continent Africa is now becoming a hub of global economic hope. Despite the challenges that it is still facing, Africa is now known to be a place of rapid economic development that is manifested, among other things, by its fast urbanization.
Now that Africa is paddling the journey towards the fastest growing continent, it is important to guide the process through well-organized and studied initiative. While the growth of urban areas is welcome, it is also important to ensure that they provide all the necessary facilities that the residents gather in search of. Otherwise, the immigrants would end up in poverty and converting the urban areas into slum settlements.
Considering the vitality of Quality of Life (QoL) especially in urban areas, the UN Habitat undertakes assessment of situation of living. According to a Press Release from the UNECA, this year, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) is set to mobilize stakeholders in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, and Zimbabwe to improve urban living conditions through UN-Habitat’s Quality of Life Initiative.
As African cities grow rapidly, ensuring that urbanization leads to better living standards remains a pressing challenge. The Quality of Life Initiative equips local authorities with the data and insights they need to ensure that urban expansion benefits every resident.
Central to the Initiative is the Quality of Life Index, which gives local authorities a pulse-check of urban life across nine critical domains, including access to basic services, housing and economic opportunities.
What sets the Index apart is its adaptability. It combines global benchmarks from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with local priorities identified by city stakeholders, enabling each municipality to develop a bespoke index that reflects its unique context, values and priorities. This evidence-based approach enables local authorities to make targeted decisions and measure their precise impact.
At the request of participating countries, ECA will bring together diverse stakeholders, including policymakers, urban planners, national statistical office representatives and community leaders, in the coming months to discuss the core elements of a good quality of life and identify areas for improvement.
“Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, and Zimbabwe are at the forefront of Africa’s urban transformation,” said Ms. Atkeyelsh Persson, Chief of ECA’s Urbanization and Development Section. “Urban growth is inevitable, but the quality of life it delivers is not guaranteed. Metrics like GDP might tell us how an economy is performing, but it says nothing about whether people in cities have clean water, safe public spaces or reliable public transport.”
“Without real data on the human experience, decision-makers are left navigating urban development in the dark,” said Mr. Giuseppe Tesoriere, ECA’s focal point for the Quality of Life Initiative.
“But there’s a strong appetite for change. City leaders want better tools to understand what truly improves daily life — and how to make it happen. That’s where our Quality of Life Initiative comes in. We look forward to working with stakeholders in these four countries to explore urban policy proposals that put people first,” he added.
Despite a growing global focus on people-centered urban development, many African cities face major challenges, such as fragmented efforts, competing priorities and data gaps, that hinder effective decision-making.
The Quality of Life Index addresses these challenges by integrating with Africa’s expanding Voluntary Local Review (VLR) process — a city-led assessment that monitors progress on the SDGs and fosters multi-stakeholder collaboration.
The Index creates synergies with the VLR data to create an actionable tool that local authorities can use to gain a clearer picture of urban life and make data-driven improvements in the lives of city residents.
The Press Release indicated that ECA works in close collaboration with the Quality of Life Initiative to scale up the Index in cities across Africa. The Quality of Life Initiative actively engages with the UN Regional Economic Commissions to mobilize the participation of cities and local governments globally, providing technical support and capacity-building to help them adopt and implement the Quality of Life Index as a tool for urban development and policymaking.
BY ZEKARIAS WOLDEMARIAM
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD WEDNESDAY 26 MARCH 2025
